Combination cigarette lighter and casing for a motorcycle

ABSTRACT

A combination cigarette lighter and a casing in which the cigarette lighter is carried to be attached to the existing framework of a motorcycle without requiring any structural changes thereto. The casing is located on the motorcycle within easy reach so that riders may conveniently light their cigarettes while on the go away from home. An end cap is pivotally connected to the casing and rotated between a closed configuration at which to cover the cigarette lighter and an open configuration at which the cigarette lighter is removed from or returned to the casing. A ball and detent locking feature is provided by which to retain the end cap in either of the closed or open configurations relative to the casing so as to prevent the end cap from flapping back and forth and possibly disturbing the operator of the motorcycle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Intention

[0002] This invention relates to a cigarette lighter and to anattractive casing therefor which is adapted to be connected to amotorcycle at a readily accessible location without having to make anystructural changes to the motorcycle.

[0003] 2. Background Art

[0004] Motorcycle operators and their passengers may wish to light acigarette or the like while on the road and away from home. Sometimes,the riders may not have access to either a book of matches or a pocketcigarette lighter. On other occasions, windy or rainy weather conditionsmay make it difficult to light one's cigarette. While automobiles andtrucks are provided with the convenience of an on-board cigarettelighter, motorcycles have not been provided with a similar convenience.In this same regard, and unlike an automobile or a truck, no means areknown to enable a cigarette lighter to be carried by a motorcycle so asto be readily available to riders without first requiring structuralchanges to the motorcycle. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have acigarette lighter and an attractive, easy to access casing therefor bywhich to give motorcycle riders the same convenience that has heretoforebeen afforded to those riding in a car or a truck.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In general terms, a combination cigarette lighter and a casingtherefor are disclosed having particular application to be carried by amotorcycle so as to enable riders to conveniently light their cigaretteswhile on the go away from home. The cigarette lighter casing includes ahollow housing in which the cigarette lighter is located, a center ringconnected to the housing, and an end cap pivotally connected to thecenter ring so as to be adapted to rotate between a closed condition atwhich to cover the cigarette lighter and an open condition at which thecigarette lighter can be removed from or returned to the housing. Atubular socket is positioned inside the hollow housing, and thecigarette lighter is removably received within the socket. An electricalwire runs through a hole formed in the housing from the battery of themotorcycle to an electrical contact on the socket in order to energizethe heating element for the purpose of lighting the rider's cigarette. AY-shaped mounting bracket is connected to the casing. The mountingbracket has a pair of outstretched arms that are affixed to the existingframework of the motorcycle from which the controls are supported. Thus,the cigarette lighter casing can be mounted on the motorcycle at areadily accessible location without having to make any structuralchanges thereto.

[0006] The end cap of the cigarette lighter casing is pivotallyconnected to the center ring thereof by means of a pivot pin thatextends through a hinge extension of the end cap. The hinge extensionincludes a pair of detents formed in the bottom and one side thereof. Acoil spring is located in an axial bore formed in the center ring, and asmall ball is seated on top of the spring above the bore. With the endcap rotated to the closed condition, the spring located within the borewill urge to the ball into receipt by the detent formed in the bottom ofthe hinge extension. When the end cap is rotated to the open condition,the spring will then urge the ball into receipt by the detent formed inthe side of the hinge extension. By virtue of the interaction of theball and the detents formed in the hinge extension of the end cap, theend cap can be reliably locked in each of the closed and open conditionsto avoid flapping back and forth with the possibility of disturbing ordistracting the operator of the motorcycle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 shows the cigarette lighter casing which forms the presentinvention affixed to the existing framework of a motorcycle;

[0008]FIG. 2 shows the cigarette lighter which also forms the presentinvention being removed form the casing of FIG. 1;

[0009]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the combination cigarette lightercasing and cigarette lighter of this invention;

[0010]FIG. 4 is a partial cross-section showing the cigarette lightercasing and the cigarette lighter removably received therewithin;

[0011]FIG. 5 is a partial rear view of the cigarette lighter casingtaken from the direction of lines 5-5 of FIG. 4;

[0012]FIG. 6 is a partial cross section showing an end cap of thecigarette lighter casing rotated to a closed configuration over thecigarette lighter; and

[0013]FIG. 7 shows the end cap of FIG. 6 rotated to an openconfiguration so as to permit the cigarette lighter to be removed fromthe cigarette lighter casing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0014] The motorcycle cigarette lighter that forms the present inventionis initially described while referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings,where FIG. 1 shows a hollow casing 1 for the cigarette lighter 40 in aclosed, at rest condition, and FIG. 2 shows the carrying case 1 forcigarette lighter 40 in an open condition so that the lighter can bepulled outwardly therefrom. As will be explained, the cigarette lighter40 and the casing 1 provide a readily accessible means to be carried bya motorcycle at an unobtrusive location to enable riders to light theircigarettes. Thus, motorcycle riders will be afforded the sameconvenience as has heretofore been provided to those riding in anautomobile.

[0015] The cigarette lighter casing 1 includes a cylindrical housing 3that is manufactured from a weather resistant material (e.g. polishedaluminum). Affixed to the top of the housing 3 is a center ring 5 (bestshown in FIG. 3). An end cap 7 is pivotally connected to the center ring5 and adapted to be rotated through an angle of 90 degrees between theclosed configuration of FIG. 1 and the open configuration of FIG. 2. Theparticular means by which the end cap 7 is pivotally connected to thecenter ring 5 and the advantages that are achieved thereby will bedescribed in greater detail when referring to FIGS. 5-7. An elastomericO-ring (designated 8 in FIGS. 6 and 7) extends around the interface ofcenter ring 5 and end cap 7 to weather proof the hollow interior ofcasing 1.

[0016] The cigarette lighter casing 1 is connected to the motorcycle byway of a Y-shaped yoke or mounting bracket 10 (best shown in FIG. 3). Byvirtue of the foregoing, no changes will have to be made to the existingmotorcycle structure. The Y-shaped mounting bracket 10 has a base 12 anda pair of outstretched arms 14 and 16 that depend outwardly from thebase 12 at an angle. The base 12 has a pair of holes (designated 18 inFIG. 3), and each outstretched arm 14 and 16 has a hole (designated 20in FIG. 3) formed therein. The base 12 of mounting bracket 10 is affixedto the cylindrical housing 3 of cigarette lighter casing 1 by a pair offasteners 22 that are received through the holes 18 (also best shown inFIG. 3). The combination cigarette lighter casing 1 and mounting bracket10 are affixed to the existing motorcycle structure by a pair offasteners 24 received through the holes 20 that are formed in respectiveoutstretched arms 14 and 16 of mounting bracket 10.

[0017] It may be recognized from FIGS. 1 and 2 that the motorcycle showntherein is manufactured by Harley Davidson. However, it is to beunderstood that the cigarette lighter casing 1 and the cigarette lighter40 carried therein are not limited to this type of motorcycle. Thus,while the Y-shaped mounting bracket 10 has particular application forconnecting the cigarette lighter casing 1 to the motorcycle illustratedin the drawings, this and other attachment means may be used to connectcasing 1 to motorcycles that are available from other manufacturers.

[0018] The Y-shaped mounting bracket 10 advantageously enables thecigarette lighter casing 1 to be conveniently positioned so thatcigarette lighter 40 will be an easy reach of a rider withoutinterfering with his ability to access the controls of the motorcycle.For the motorcycle illustrated in the drawings, the arms of the Y-shapedmounting bracket 10 are connected by means of fasteners 24 to the sameframework 25 from which the existing push-button switch box 26, handlebar grip 28, rear view mirror 30 and hand brake lever 32 are allsupported. In this case, the cigarette lighter casing 1 is shown beingsupported from framework 25 at the right side of the motorcycle.However, the mounting bracket 10 connected to cigarette lighter casing 1may also be connected to the left side of a motorcycle.

[0019] Turning now to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings, details areprovided of the cigarette lighter 40 that is removably received incasing 1 to be carried at the existing framework 25 of a motorcycle.Since the cigarette lighter 40 is generally known, only a briefdescription thereof will be provided. Cigarette lighter 40 includes acylindrical body 42 having a resistance heating element 44 at one end ofthe kind that is capable of igniting a cigarette, cigar, pipe, and thelike, and a knob 46 at the opposite end by which lighter 40 can beeither pushed inwardly or pulled outwardly from the casing 1 as shown inFIG. 2 when end cap 7 is rotated to the open configuration.

[0020] The body 42 of cigarette lighter 40 is slidably received withinan open tubular socket 48. An annular lip 50 is formed around the opentop of socket 48. To achieve the preferred cigarette lighter assemblyshown in FIG. 4, the annular lip 50 at the top of socket 48 is seatedwithin a circumferential groove 52 that is formed at the top of thecylindrical housing 3 of cigarette lighter casing 1. Thus, the groove 52captures the annular lip 50 and thereby retains the tubular socket 48 ofcigarette lighter 40 within the cigarette lighter casing 1 to establisha space between the bottom of socket 48 and the bottom of housing 3.

[0021] An electrical contact 54 is located at the bottom of the tubularsocket 48 of cigarette lighter 40 so as to lie in the aforementionedspace between socket 48 and the housing 3 of casing 1. An insulator(e.g. paper) 55 is laid along the bottom of housing 3 to avoid anycontact between the housing and the electrical contact 54 of socket 48.An electrical wire 56 runs from contact 54, through a hole 58 formed inthe bottom of housing 3, to the battery (not shown) of the motorcycle.An electrical current is supplied via wire 56 to contact 54, whereby theheating element 44 of lighter 40 can be energized to ignite the rider'scigarette.

[0022] Spaced from one another and axially aligned along the tubularsocket 48 of cigarette lighter 40 are flexible, spring-like clips 60 and62. The clips 60 and 62 are positioned so as to capture annular ribs 64and 66 (best shown in FIG. 3) that extend around the cylindrical body 42of cigarette lighter 40 to be slidably received within socket 48. Aswith conventional cigarette lighters, the interaction of the spring-likeclips 60 and 62 with the annular ribs 64 and 66 allows the body 42 ofcigarette lighter 40 to be releasably retained at a retracted positionwithin socket 48 (when the end cap 7 of casing 1 is closed in the mannershown in FIG. 1) and at an axially advanced position within socket 48(when the end cap 7 is opened in the manner shown in FIG. 2) at whichthe heating element 40 of body 42 is moved into engagement with theelectrical contact 54 of socket 48 by applying a pushing force againstknob 46.

[0023] The center ring 5 of cigarette lighter casing 1 is affixed atopthe cylindrical housing 3 by means of a pair of fasteners 70 (best shownin FIG. 3) so as to hold socket 48 within housing 3. As was indicatedabove and as will now be described in greater below while referringconcurrently to FIGS. 5-7 of the drawings, the end cap 7 of casing 1that is pivotally connected to the center ring 5 includes theinteraction of ball and detent means by which the end cap 7 can bereliably locked in each of the closed configuration of FIG. 1 and theopen configuration of FIG. 2.

[0024] More particularly, a slot 72 is formed in the back of the centerring 5 above the attachment of the mounting bracket 10 to the housing 3of casing 1. A hinge extension 74 depends from the end cap 7 for receiptwithin the slot 72 of center ring 5. A pivot pin 76 which runs betweenthe opposite ends of the slot 72 also extends through the hingeextension 74 (best shown in FIG. 5). Accordingly, the end cap 7 will bepivotally connected to center ring 5 at the slot 72 formed therein so asto be capable of rotating 90 degrees between the aforementioned closedand open configurations. As an important feature of cigarette lightercasing 1, the hinge extension 74 of end cap 7 that is received in theslot 72 of center ring 5 has a pair of detents 78 and 80 formed therein(best shown in FIGS. 6 and 7). A first of the detents 78 is formed inone side of hinge extension 74, and the second detent 80 is formed inthe bottom of the hinge extension 74. A small (e.g. about 3 mm) diameter(e.g. steel) ball 80, similar to a ball bearing, cooperates with a coilspring 84 so as to be held within and captured by one of the detents 78or 80 depending upon whether the end cap 7 has been rotated at the pivotpin 76 to the closed or open configuration relative to the cigarettelighter 40 that is carried within the housing 3 of casing 1.

[0025] A short bore 86 runs longitudinally through the center ring 5 tocommunicate with the slot 72. The coil spring 84 is located within thebore 86, and the ball 82 is seated on top of the spring 84 above thebore. The coil spring 84 is normally biased so as to exert an upwardpushing force against ball 82, whereby the ball is urged into receipt byone of the detents 78 or 80 formed in the hinge extension 74 of end cap7.

[0026] Accordingly, when the end cap 7 is rotated to the closedconfiguration (of FIG. 6) to lie above and enclose the cigarette lighter40 that is carried within the casing 1, the ball 82 will be pushed byspring 84 into the detent 80 in the bottom of hinge extension 74. Hence,end cap 7 will be locked in the closed position. When a rider wishes togain access to and remove the cigarette lighter 40 from casing 1, anupward pushing force is exerted by the rider to cause end cap 7 torotate at pivot pin 76 to the open position (of FIG. 7) and therebypermit the rider to grasp the knob 46 of lighter 40. As the end cap 7 ismoved 90 degrees to the open condition and the hinge extension 74thereof correspondingly rotates at pivot pin 76, the ball 82 will bepushed downwardly in the bore 86 by the hinge extension 74 so as tocompress coil spring 84. The hinge extension 74 will continue to rotateat pivot pin 76 with the end cap 7 until the open configuration isreached, whereby the ball 82 will now be aligned with and received bythe detent 78 at the side of hinge extension 74. That is to say, thecoil spring 84 within bore 86 expands to urge ball 82 away from the bore86 and into the detent 78. Hence, end cap 7 will now be locked in theopen configuration.

[0027] By virtue of the interaction of ball 82 and detents 78 and 80,the end cap 7 of cigarette lighter casing 1 can be reliably retained ineach of the closed and open configurations so as not to be able to flapback and forth. Hence, the rider will not be inconvenienced by a looseend cap that could disturb his concentration while the motorcycle is inoperation or interfere with his ability to remove or return thecigarette lighter 40, especially during windy conditions. In this sameregard, it should be appreciated that the detents 78 and 80 that areformed in the hinge extension 74 of end cap 7 may be replaced by similarcatches for the ball 82 including, but not limited to, notches,channels, and the like. In any case, the rider will now have theadvantage of an easy to use, easy to access cigarette lighter 40 that isconveniently carried by his motorcycle in an attractive casing that canbe attached to the motorcycle without having to change the existingstructure thereof.

I claim:
 1. In combination: a motorcycle having a battery; a cigarettelighter casing having a hollow housing; a cigarette lighter removablereceived within the hollow housing of said cigarette lighter casing; anda mounting bracket by which to connect said cigarette lighter casing tosaid motorcycle so that said cigarette lighter is carried within saidcasing by said motorcycle to be removed from said housing to light acigarette.
 2. The combination recited in claim 1, further comprising atubular socket located within the hollow housing of said cigarettelighter casing to removably receive said cigarette lighter, said tubularsocket having an electrical contact to which an electrical current issupplied to heat the cigarette lighter within said socket.
 3. Thecombination recited in claim 2, further comprising an electrical wireconnected between the battery of said motorcycle and the electricalcontact of said tubular socket, the hollow housing of said cigarettelighter casing having a hole formed therein and said electrical wirerunning through said hole.
 4. The combination recited in claim 2,wherein said tubular socket has a series of flexible clips and saidcigarette lighter has a series of ribs projecting therefrom, at leastone of said series of flexible clips engaging at least one of saidseries of clips by which said cigarette lighter is releasably retainedby said socket within the hollow housing of said cigarette lightercasing.
 5. The combination recited in claim 1, wherein said mountingbracket has a base and at least one arm depending from said base, thebase of said mounting bracket connected to said cigarette lighter casingand the arm of said mounting bracket connected to said motorcycle. 6.The combination recited in claim 5, wherein said mounting bracket has apair of arms depending from said base for connection to said cigarettelighter casing, said pair of arms forming an angle therebetween so thatsaid mounting bracket has a Y-shape.
 7. The combination recited in claim1, wherein said cigarette lighter casing also has an end cap pivotallyconnected to said hollow housing and adapted to be rotated from a closedposition to cover said cigarette lighter in said housing to an openposition at which said cigarette lighter is removed from or returned tosaid housing.
 8. The combination recited in claim 7, wherein the hollowhousing of said cigarette lighter casing has a slot formed therein andsaid end cap has a hinge extension projecting therefrom, said hingeextension located within said slot and pivotally connected to saidhousing.
 9. The combination recited in claim 8, further comprising aball, the hinge extension of said end cap having first and seconddetents formed therein, said ball being received in the first detent ofsaid hinge extension for retaining said end cap in the closed position,and said ball being received in the second detent of said hingeextension for retaining said end cap in the open position.
 10. Thecombination recited in claim 9, further comprising a spring and a boreformed in the hollow housing of said cigarette lighter casing forreceiving the spring, said spring urging said ball into receipt by oneof said first and second detents formed in the hinge extension dependingupon whether said end cap is rotated to the closed or open positionrelative to said housing.
 11. In combination: a motorcycle; a cigarettelighter casing having a hollow housing and an end cap pivotallyconnected to said housing; a cigarette lighter removably received withinthe hollow housing of said cigarette lighter casing, said end cap beingrotated between a closed position at which to cover said cigarettelighter within said housing and an open position at which said cigarettelighter is removed from or returned to said housing; a mounting bracketby which to connect said cigarette lighter casing to said motorcycle sothat said cigarette lighter is carried within said casing by saidmotorcycle to be removed from said housing to light a cigarette; andmeans by which to retain said end cap in each of said closed and openpositions relative to the hollow housing of said cigarette lightercasing.
 12. The combination recited in claim 10, wherein said hollowhousing has a slot formed therein and said end cap has a hinge extensionprojecting therefrom, said hinge extension located within said slot andpivotally connected to said housing.
 13. The combination recited inclaim 11, wherein said retaining means includes a ball and first andsecond detents formed in the hinge extension of said end cap, said ballbeing received in the first detent of said hinge extension for retainingsaid end cap in the closed position, and said ball being received in thesecond detent of said hinge extension for retaining said end cap in theopen position.
 14. The combination recited in claim 13, wherein saidretaining means also includes a spring and a bore formed in the hollowhousing of said cigarette lighter casing for receiving the spring, saidspring urging said ball into receipt by one of said first and seconddetents formed in said hinge extension depending upon whether said endcap is rotated to said closed or open position relative to said housing.